Police on Tuesday booked five residents of Toor Banjara village for allegedly abetting the suicide of a 47-year-old Dalit man and hurling caste-based insults at him. The case was registered following the victim’s death at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMC) in Punjab's Ludhiana.

The FIR was registered under Section 108 (abetment of suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) alongside relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

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According to the complaint lodged by the victim’s son, trouble began on Sunday when Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema visited the village to inaugurate development projects. During the event, the victim publicly questioned Cheema about the local drug problem.

The complainant said that police officials later visited their house to enquire about drug-related issues. Angered by the police visit, the village panchayat allegedly treated the incident as an insult. Five villagers—Baljit Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Vicky Singh, Gona Singh, and Baljinder Singh—allegedly subjected the victim to casteist abuse.

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Baljit Singh then summoned the victim to his house on Monday to issue a public apology before the panchayat. Distressed by the alleged harassment and humiliation, the victim consumed poison shortly after.

He was initially taken to the Civil Hospital in Sangrur, then referred to Rajindra Hospital in Patiala. Due to a reported lack of ICU beds at Rajindra Hospital, his family moved him to a private hospital before he was referred to DMCH, Ludhiana, where he succumbed during treatment.

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Earlier, the victim’s son had publicly warned that local village members and Cheema would be responsible if any harm befell his father.

Dirba deputy superintendent of police Rupinder Kaur Bajwa said that an investigation is underway and efforts are on to arrest the accused.

(If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918, Roshni Foundation (Secunderabad) Contact Nos: 040-66202001, 040-66202000, ONE LIFE: Contact No: 78930 78930, SEVA: Contact No: 09441778290)

Muskan is a correspondent covering Sangrur and Barnala districts in the Malwa region of Punjab. She tracks day to day developments across both districts. She also covers state wide stories on education, agriculture, environment and other related issues.Read More